M–54
Norristown, PennsylvaniaUnited States

Viperman

M–50
Oshawa, OntarioCanada

1959 Cadillac Hease model

“Morticia”

1971 Lincoln Mark III

“THE CAR”

Head to Head

About “Morticia”

(Since this is a model car, I will only accept challenges from other models, toys, and "Non-Car" cars!)

My younger brother is a member of a community theater acting troupe whose main occupation is hauntings in October. He's 6'8" and about 180 lbs soaking wet. His character is the grim Reaper, and he does it well. The troupe's 'truck' is a 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Superior-bodied Hearse that he picked up a few years ago and since then he's been taken with hearses. I've picked up any scale diecast hearses that I've come across for him, including several from Johnny Lightning and Matchbox over the past few years. The only hearse model kit that I know of was produced in the late 60's by Jo-Han and is rare (and therefore, expensive) today. I've always preferred the sort of spooky look of the more rounded late 50's-early 60's hearse bodies over the more squared-off later ones, so when Polar Lights came out with a model of the "Ecto-1" ambulance from the "Ghostbusters" movies, I jumped at the chance to build one into my fantasy hearse model. It is styled loosely after pictures of the car featured in the movie "Harold and Maude", but I couldn't resist adding chromed Eldorado-style tail light pods and mag wheels, and lowering it two scale inches in back and four in front. I also added all the trim that was deleted from the movie car.

About “THE CAR”

I found this diecast at Wal-Mart and I found it by a fluck. I was told I could not get it there cause it was a limited numbered car.I had to take something back to Wal-Mart and I thought I would check out to see what they had on the shelf and it was the only one on the shelf so I bought it.

Specs for “Morticia”

Polar Lights "Ghostbusters Ecto-1" 1:25 model

Specs for “THE CAR”

It's from the movie of the same name THE CAR

Factory Options for “Morticia”

All kinds of crap (light bars, racks, tubes, etc) that the studio added to the ambulance for the movie that I didn't bother putting on the model. Instead, I had to fill and finish roughly two dozen holes in the body!

Factory Options for “THE CAR”

No factory options listed.

Mods for “Morticia”

I started by filling the mounting holes for the "Ghostbusters" paraphernalia that the hearse wouldn't be needing: ALL OF IT! Then I blanked off the bulk of the quarter windows, leaving the small triangular windows beside the rear cargo door. The landau irons are homemade, as are the curtains in the cargo door and rear side doors. The cargo bay is completely finished, including casket rollers in the floor and tasteful lighting and draperies inside the quarter blanking panels. I cut open and hinged the cargo door, which was originally cast with the body. I added Cragar S/S-style mag wheels, which meant that I had to find "Gangster whitewalls" from my parts box to fit them - I didn't have any mags that I liked that would fit the kit tires. The suspension was lowered, 4" in front, 2" in back.